Support The Monastic Community

The institution “Budismo Theravada da Floresta – Comunidade Religiosa” was officially recognised as Pessoa Colectiva Religiosa under the law ‘Lei da Liberdade Religiosa’, with the fiscal number NIPC 592010040 in July, 2010. It has the object to promoting the Buddha’s teaching through the establishment of a Monastery for the bhikkhus to live and practice. The Bhikkhu community came to live in Portugal through the invitation of lay people and has the support of the Elders from the lineage of Ajahn Chah. This tradition was brought to the west by Ajahn Sumedho and others western disciples. Now the monks are living in a rented property in a rural area, 45km from Lisbon. Not far from this property a piece of land has been purchased and the monks and the lay people have been working on the land, looking after the forest in order to restore the native flora while plans to build the Monastery have been submitted for approval by the local town hall. Many are those who have been asking us how can they support the monastery. There are different aspect of the Monastic life that laity can help with:

Food: The Buddha created a system that guarantees that the monastic community is never separated from the laity, since the first depends on the second for its daily nourishment. In this way there is the possibility of offering the meal to the monastic community. For those interested in offering a meal, please advise the meals offering calendar by clicking here.

Practical help: Lay people can stay overnight as guests in the monastery, providing some practical help. It is also an opportunity benefiting from the monastic atmosphere and the silence. Those interested in staying at the monastery should previously send an email in order to find out what dates are suitable come and stay. It is also possible to stay nearby in rented accommodation and come to the Monastery during the day.

Monetary donations: The monetary donations would not only provide some of the daily needs of the community but also help with the building of the monastery, in order to create a more suitable space for all.